Review of Moorfields Eye Surgery
Moorfields Eye Hospital enjoys a global reputation for providing world-class laser eye surgery.
Moorfields Private is the private arm of the renowned Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, and offers ophthalmic care to patients seeking a vast range of treatments for both common and complex eye health conditions.
Today, Moorfields has a number of clinics around London – located in the City, the West End, Bedford and Croydon – and treats around 400,000 outpatients and 30,000 inpatients each year.
☀ Pros: World-class reputation, highly experienced eye surgeons, central London locations, advanced technology
☂ Cons: No fixed prices (fixed by the surgeons), no monthly payment options, no free consultation
☝ Compare clinics: See if there are any other top-rated clinics near you, and use our simple tool to receive a personalised quote.
Our no-nonsense review of Moorfields Private and Moorfields NHS Eye Hospital covers:
- Moorfields Private Eye Hospital
- Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Moorfields laser eye surgery cost
- What laser eye surgeries are offered?
- Moorfields’ best consultants
- Moorfields laser eye surgery reviews
- The Verdict
1. Moorfields Private Eye Hospital
For patients who fail to meet NHS requirements, or for those looking for treatments left off NHS checklists (such as refractive surgery for the average glasses-wearer), Moorfields Private is a viable option.
Private laser eye treatments at Moorfields include the most common surgeries such as PRK, LASEK and LASIK, as well as specialist procedures for more complex conditions. Private patients also benefit from Wavefront guided surgeries, which tend to have higher success rates due to greater laser accuracy.
In addition to providing high quality treatment and aftercare, many patients like to know that the profits from Moorfields Private are used to fund the Moorfields Eye Charity, Friends of Moorfields, which supports critical new research and quality eye care for children and adults.
2. Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
If you happen to suffer from a select range of debilitating eye conditions that cannot be treated by contact lenses or glasses (such as cataracts or glaucoma), you may be one of the few people who qualify for laser eye surgery on the NHS.
Moorfields’ NHS Eye Hospital is there for these patients, but for the vast majority of us, Moorfields Private has its door open.
3. Moorfields Laser Eye Surgery Cost
While NHS treatment is free, at Moorfields Private prices will apply to all consultations and surgeries.
Laser eye surgery costs at Moorfields start at £2,000 per eye for common laser eye surgery such as LASIK or LASEK. These prices rise to between £3,000 and £4,000 per eye for more complex procedures including cataract surgery.
An initial consultation at Moorfields is around £150, and the private prices will depend on the eye surgeon you choose. That’s because the laser eye consultants are employed by Moorfields, and set their own fees.
Consultation costs
- Consultation: £150 – £200
Patients considering laser eye surgery usually book one to two consultations prior to receiving treatment. You can book your first appointment on the Moorfields Private website.
Treatment costs (per eye)
- LASIK or LASEK eye surgery: £2,000 – £2,500
- Refractive lens exchange (RLE) or cataract surgery: £3,000 – £4,000
- ICL implantation surgery: £3,000 – £4,000
Other costs
In addition to these costs, you may also need to consider covering your potential stay in the hospital for private treatment. Moorfields Private hospital fees tend to range from £900 to £1800, depending on the procedure.
However, recovery times vary, and many eye treatments allow you to leave following the surgery. Naturally, there are no hospital fees for NHS patients.
Other options?
Moorfields Private Hospital offers some of the latest laser and implantable contact lens treatments performed by world-class consultant eye specialists, and these prices reflect the clinic’s high standards.
However, if these costs are outside your budget, or you would like to compare them with other leading laser eye surgery clinics in the UK, click here to fill in a few details, and talk directly to a trusted clinic to compare their quotes and services.
To see how other eye laser surgery clinics compare with Moorfields Private, just click here to use our simple quote tool, and receive a tailored quote from any trusted clinics near you.
Paying for treatment
Opting for laser eye surgery is a financial commitment for most people, and Moorfields offers three ways of paying for your treatment:
- Private Medical Insurance – If you are covered by private healthcare, Moorfields asks that you try to verify these details before your first appointment, and obtain your pre-authorisation number.
- Self pay – Many patients pay for their own treatment, with no private insurance needed.
- Third party sponsorship – If a third party (such as your employer) has agreed to settled your account, make sure you acquire a letter of guarantee along with a deposit.
Read more: Laser eye surgery costs explained
4. Laser Eye Surgery Treatments
Moorfields Private Eye Hospital provides over 100 vision correction treatments for adults and children of all ages.
Here are some of the most requested types of laser eye surgery treatments:
- LASIK: The most common treatment to correct eye conditions such as nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism.
- LASEK: A surface laser treatment that is suitable for patients with thinner corneas (eye surfaces).
- Cataract surgery: A refractive lens exchange (RLE), which is an option for those in the “reading glasses” age group.
- ICL surgery: Implants that work like permanent contact lenses are common for younger people, or patients with medical dry eye conditions.
Moorfields Private Hospital usually performs laser sight correction surgery to both eyes on the same day, but with cataract surgery and ICL implantation, most surgeons prefer to leave a week between operating on each eye for their patients’ comfort.
5. Moorfields’ Top Surgeons
Moorfields Private and Moorfields Eye Hospital claim their ophthalmic surgeons and consultants are some of the best in Britain, and six Moorfields Private surgeons were recently named in the Daily Mail’s top doctors list.
Within the industry, Moorfields is also the go-to for ophthalmic expertise: a recent Moorfields report shows that over half of all registered ophthalmic surgeons in the UK received their training there. Not surprisingly, many Moorfields consultants also completed their training onsite.
Plus, based on hundreds of unfiltered reviews from former patients, Moorfields hosts some of the top-rated laser eye surgeons in the UK.
Here are the five best consultants at Moorfields, as voted by you:
- Mr David Gartry: As one of the first surgeons worldwide to perform laser eye surgery, they don’t come more experienced than Mr Gartry.
- Mr Julian Stevens: Mr Stevens is an advisor to the British Society for Refractive Surgery, and is recognised globally as an expert opinion leader in laser eye surgery.
- Mr Bruce Allan: Mr Allan had been the Service Director for Refractive Surgery at Moorfields since 2012.
- Ms Valerie Saw: Ms Saw’s interests lie in inflammation and scarring of the eye, and she regularly treats patients for dry eyes and conjunctivitis.
- Mr Alexander C. W. Ionides: Since 1989, Mr Ionides has specialised in cataract and refractive lens surgery for both long and short sighted conditions.
Read more: Laser Eye Surgeon reviews
6. Independent reviews of Moorfields Private Eye Hospital
Moorfields consistently receive fantastic customer reviews, making them one of the highest rated laser eye providers in the UK. Click here to read their customer reviews below.
Moorfields Eye Hospital Private Clinic is also featured as one of Lasik Eye’s best laser eye surgery clinics in the UK, as well as shining in our list of the best laser eye surgery in London for partnering with some of the most renowned surgeons.
What makes Moorfields Eye Hospital so popular?
- History – Moorfields Eye Hospital first opened in London in 1805, and is now one of the oldest and best reviewed eye hospitals in the world.
- Ophthalmic Research – Moorfields has spent over 200 years researching and providing the latest laser eye surgery and implantable contact lens treatments, in partnership with the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology.
- Cutting-edge technology – Moorfields Private is a flagship location for laser and implant manufacturers. Its surgeons are therefore able to choose from the latest state-of-the-art laser eye equipment and non-invasive techniques like Intralase technology.
- Patient care – The Care Quality Commission (CQC) rates Moorfields Eye Hospital as ‘outstanding’ for care in their latest inspection report.
But is Moorfields Eye Hospital right for you?
Not everyone is best suited to Moorfields: as you would expect, world-class laser eye surgery often comes with an eye-watering price tag.
- Expensive treatments – Although patients tend to leave rave reviews, LASEK eye surgery costs on average £2,235 per eye at Moorfields Private, but between £595 and £1,595 per eye at other leading high street eye clinics such as Optical Express.
- No free consultations – Moorfields Private is one of the few laser eye clinics in the UK not to offer free initial consultations: you can expect to pay between £150 and £200, depending on the surgeon you see.
Next Steps: Find the Top-Reviewed Clinic Near You
Compare Moorfields Private with the highest independently reviewed eye laser clinics near you – see if you’re eligible for 20/20 vision or your money back, and receive your very own personalised quote.
Our mission at Lasik Eyes is to make it easy to choose the right clinic for your ophthalmic treatment, pop in for a free consultation, and talk through your options with an eye expert. Here’s how:
Next steps: Our simple tool helps our readers every day get one step closer to 20/20 vision:
- Find a top clinic near you: Answer three questions to be matched with the leading eye clinic in your area
- Check you’re eligible in minutes: Receive a quick call to check you can get surgery (we will never share your number with anyone else)
- Receive a tailored quote: Talk to an expert at a clinic you can trust for a free eye test (worth £800) and personalised quote (with no obligation)
☛ Click here to find the best clinic near you, and receive a tailored quote.
Moorfields Surgeons Reviews
Mr Alexander C W Ionides
BSc FRCOphth MD.
Mr Vincenzo Maurino
Mr Bruce Allan
MD FRCS FRCOphth
Mr Stephen Tuft
Professor David S Gartry
MD, FRCS, FRCOphth, DO, BSc(Hons)
Mr Julian Stevens
MRCP, FRCS, FRCOphth,DO
Moorfields Eye Hosptial Reviews
Alastair Gunn
To date this feels like the best £5,000 I’ve spent for a very long time. I found the whole process from a no obligation consultation, to treatment and aftercare very professional and reassuring. All the staff I met were incredibly helpful and flexible in accommodating my questions and scheduling treatment / check-up’s. The actual surgery is over very quickly and for someone who is a complete wimp, who cannot stand anyone near his eyes, it went incredibly smoothly. In some part I have to attribute this to the calm manner in which my surgeon (professor Gartry) goes about his work – I almost could have been buying a paper at the local newsagent. I spent more time discussing eye drops than being treated. I was worried things would be more complicated and painful, given LASEK requires a week off work, the need to wear protective contact lenses for 5 days and a lot of eye drops to manage pain and dry / itchy eyes. In reality, the surgery was quick, including fitting contact lenses which I have never been able to do before. You can see straight away – so it isn’t a week of blurred vision bordering on blindness. I never had any real pain or discomfort, partly because the eye drop schedule means your always on top of it. So you may ask why do you need a week off work? The answer is threefold:-
1) Your vision is blurred for a few days and looking at direct light (TV’s / pc’s etc.) is tiring.
2) you do have to take an awful lot of eye drops for the first few days, so not a lot of time to do other things
3) Its just sensible to keep your eyes away from dirty environments and allow them to heal
Three months on and my vision is still improving. -8.0 in both eyes is now -0.25 / -0.5 and I neither need glasses in general or for reading.
Thank you Moorfields / Professor Gartry and good luck to anyone reading this.
Edward Griffiths
Treatment at this clinic was great. I was nervous having the treatment never had any eye issues before but the team were professional and courteous and made me feel at ease and informed throughout the whole process. Thank you!
Pieris Christou
Hi,
I was treated by Alexander Ionides at Moorfields for eye surgery. The procedure I underwent was LASEK as I wasn’t comfortable having a slit cut in the cornea (LASIK). During the surgery, Mr Ionides walked me through every step of the way and this helped me to feel at ease during the procedure. The operation took about 1-2 minutes per eye so I was in and out of the operating theatre within 10 minutes. I was given a range of eye drops to use over the coming weeks. After 5 days, I went to see Mr Ionides to have my protective contact lenses removed. I would then continue to see Mr Ionides for my 1, 3 and 6 month checkups.
After 3 months, I found my right eye to be lagging (or so I thought). Much to my surprise my left eye had exceeded 20/20 vision whereas my right eye was sitting pretty at 20/20. With that said, the truth was that my left eye had become ‘super’ resulting in me thinking my right eye was lagging in recovery. After 6 months, the right eye has now caught up and both my eyes exceed 20/20.
I could go on and on but to summarise here are my key praises for Mr Ionides.
+ Pre-surgery, happy to answer any questions and concerns (of which I had many)
+ Walked me through the surgery as I’m undergoing the procedure so no surprises
+ Post-surgery, again, happy to answer any questions or concerns and has his door wide open for patients
+ Has a plethora of experience in this field
I’m currently sitting here 8 months into having LASEK and I can say that I have absolutely no regrets. I would wholeheartedly recommend Mr Ionides to others looking to have refractive eye surgery.
Charlotte Leonard
Very pleased with the results. The novelty has not worn off yet! Ms Saw is very gentle and calm. I would do it all again in a heartbeat.
Margot Cronin
I am thrilled with the results of my surgery in September 2015. The whole process was very straightforward and professional. Mr. Ionides explained exactly what would happen and he and his team looked after me very well throughout the process. The operation itself was quick and painless and recovery was rapid. After three days no one could even tell that I’d had eye surgery and my new lens was working beautifully. Mr. Ionides operated on my other eye six months earlier in February 2015 and that operation was also a complete success. I knew therefore I was in very safe hands for the second operation. The improvement in my vision has really changed my life and I am so grateful to Mr. Ionides and his team. I can’t recommend him highly enough.
Charlotte Seneschall
I’d worn glasses since I was six years old and contacts since I was eleven. Every year I’d gone to the opticians only to be told the same thing – my eyesight was worse. By the time I considered laser eye surgery, I’d ended up with a prescription of -9 in my left eye and -7 in my right, making it unsafe for me to have LASIK. However, Professor Gartry’s clinic at Moorfield’s offered me LASEK – a technique suitable for higher prescriptions like my own. The procedure took about 30 minutes in total. The next few days were a bit uncomfortable, but the pain was easily managed with some special eye drops the clinic provided. Five days after the operation I attended my sister’s graduation with no problems at all. Now I have better than 20/20 vision with no complications whatsoever – and my eyesight’s almost good enough for the air force!
Mike Alizade
I had the procedure with Julian Stevens last year, and am amazed and delighted with the results. My vision is now perfect even with a -7 prescription and an astigmatism. I cannot recommend him enough.
Aatish Thakerar
When walking into Moorfields eye hospital, you are already acutely aware that you’ll be receiving the best patient care and treatment available. This alone makes the process of going through eye surgery infinitely easier.
On the day of my treatment, I was guided through the correct department, promptly taken through all my checks, and reassured by staff. Even though there are other patients waiting outside, I never once felt rushed. After the surgery, I had a number of aftercare options explained to me, along with how I should be using the medical drops (all provided in the overall surgery cost), and given my consultant’s personal card in case of any emergencies.
I would be very happy to recommend the hospital to anyone who is looking to put the quality of the surgeon and patient aftercare at the forefront of their priorities for the surgery. Moorfields is not cheap, but the experience and sense of security is very much worth it.
Gerardo
Excellent treatment – care- advice.
Will definitely recommend to anyone
Caroline King
If you are having eye surgery, go for the very best. Moorfields is a world renowned flagship eye hospital, with cutting edge laser technology. Mr Bruce Allen is a truly exceptional surgeon and it is no wonder he consistently gets fantastic reviews. I couldn’t have been in a better place, and in the safest possible hands. Excellent results. It has been life changing – one very happy patient.
